Just the way he carries himself and how he says he's playing for the guys who have been trying to get to the playoffs, he's an easy guy to root for.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Growing up in Cleveland, Barry Cofield recalls the hype that unfurled like a red carpet at the feet of LeBron James.

The Washington Redskins defensive tackle remembers the endorsement deals, shoe commercials and ESPN coverage lavished on James before he played his first NBA game. Somehow, the former Cavaliers star exceeded the expectations.

A decade later, Cofield is watching the mania that envelops his new teammate, Robert Griffin III. It's not anywhere near the same degree or scale as what he witnessed in his hometown. But as the rookie quarterback makes the Redskins relevant again, Cofield recognizes the similarities.

"I think it takes a unique individual to handle that kind of pressure," Cofield said. "You can tell really quickly when it's that type of guy, one who is special on and off the field. I feel RG has those qualities and LeBron has them, too. They are guys who are born to be great, guys who are born to be stars. I see the same things in him that I saw in LeBron."

Cofield is not alone in his assessment. Other Redskins teammates, including Cleveland native London Fletcher, and sports marketing analysts see a charismatic young athlete who transcends the game he plays.

He won't, however, make his Cleveland debut on Sunday as a sprained right knee will sideline Griffin against the Browns in a game with playoff implications for both sides. The team announced late Saturday that backup Kirk Cousins will start. Griffin has the NFL's hottest-selling jersey and a 104.2 passer rating, tied for the league's best with New England's Tom Brady.

When healthy, he worries defensive coordinators with his strong arm and quick feet and disarms Fortune 500 executives with his smile and personality.

"Robert Griffin III is unbelievable," ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell said. "He is so polished and so sharp and that's what impresses CEOs and marketing guys. They see how he can relate to people and how he always seems to say the right thing."

Rovell extensively covered the sneaker wars for James' endorsement ultimately won by Nike in 2003. He said no athlete has entered the pro ranks with more attention or a longer on-ramp than the St. Vincent-St. Mary graduate.

Casual sports fans, Rovell said, did not become aware of Griffin until he won the Heisman Trophy a year ago. Within days, however, he delivered a top-10 list for David Letterman and companies began lining up to seek his services. Griffin's portfolio includes: Gatorade, Adidas, Subway, Nissan, EvoShield, Castrol Motor Oil. All these deals were consummated before he played his first regular-season game making him the highest-earning rookie in NFL history. Sound familiar?

"I've made sure I've stayed with ... companies I truly believe in and not just doing things to get money," Griffin said in July. "So it was a great experience doing all those things. Everybody wants to be in a Gatorade commercial, get the Gatorade dripping from your face. It was really fun, so I enjoyed that. But aside from that, it's all about football."

Redskins veterans Fletcher and Cofield saw "RG3" become just Robert once inside the locker room. They said he has worked hard and earned the respect of teammates.

He speaks only one day a week to the media, but that's no different than many quarterbacks, including the Browns' Brandon Weeden. Griffin was not available Thursday during The Plain Dealer's visit to Redskins Park.

"You see those commercials before he gets here and you want to make fun of him and you want to give him a hard time and it would be natural to be jealous," Cofield said. "But just the way he carries himself and how he says he's playing for the guys who have been trying to get to the playoffs, he's an easy guy to root for."

Washington-area sports fans have waited 20 years for an athlete to create such a buzz. They were fed a past-his-prime Deion Sanders and a doughy Michael Jordan. The district's highest-profile sports figure has been a hockey player, Alex Ovechkin, who's better known in Canada and Russia than outside the Beltway.

Now, the home to the Pentagon has the son of two military parents as its biggest sports draw. And, not a season too soon for the Redskins.

The franchise has made just four playoff appearances since winning its last of three Super Bowls during the 1991 season. Desperate to reverse their fortunes, the Redskins paid a massive one in future assets to acquire Griffin's draft rights from St. Louis. The Redskins parted with three first-round draft picks (2012-14) and a second-rounder (2012) -- a price the Browns, also in the Griffin market, deemed too steep.

"Look at what we gave up to get him and the expectations that were on him," Fletcher said. "He has really played beyond what was expected him. It's amazing. It's says a lot about him, his talent, his level of professionalism.

"His approach to the game and his approach to life is so good. A lot of it really is innate, it's not something he's trying to force or manufacture."

Griffin produced one of the most dazzling debuts in NFL history as the Redskins stunned the New Orleans Saints, 40-32, in the Superdome. He threw for two touchdowns and accounted for 366 yards of total offense.

His weekly highlights, which included a 76-yard TD run on Oct. 14 against Minnesota, continue to amaze. His plus-14 touchdown-to-interception ratio (18 TDs, four INTs) is tied with Dan Marino's mark set in 1983 for the best by a rookie.

Andrew Luck, the No. 1 overall pick, is having an equally impressive season, and has the Indianapolis Colts (9-4) well positioned to make the playoffs. But Luck doesn't have Japanese television crews and Arabic newspapers making requests to the Colts' media relations staff.

"You name an outlet and they have wanted to interview [Griffin]," Redskins media relations director Tony Wyllie said. "He makes me feel like Halle Berry because all day long I have to say 'no.'"

Rick Burton, a David B. Falk Professor of Sport Management at Syracuse University, said one thing that can curb Griffin's marketability is injuries. He's already suffered a concussion and knee sprain in his first 13 games.

"This city is one of the great football cities and its been begging for an inkling of competitiveness and a chance to make the playoffs," Redskins special teams ace Lorenzo Alexander said. "We've had a couple good seasons, but nothing consistent, nothing where fans could really see a future like they can now. Robert provides that star player this team can be built around now."

Griffin's memorable 76-yard TD run came a day after the Washington Nationals were eliminated from the baseball playoffs. It led President Obama to opine that Griffin had restored the faith of Washington fans in their teams with his performance.

He might not be LeBron, but when the leader of the free world is praising your work, expectations are being met.

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